BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Gov. Martin O’Malley and Baltimore City officials fired back Tuesday, saying funding of CASA de Maryland is a required duty of social service in the face of failing federal immigration laws.

“The question becomes: Are we going to allow a permanent underclass of individuals to exist in our state, or are we going to try to provide basic services for individuals to become fully productive members of our society?” said O’Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese in response to an Examiner special report on Casa de Maryland’s funding published Monday.

CASA de Maryland is a multimillion-dollar nonprofit immigrant advocacy group that does not ask its clients if they are legal U.S. residents — a policy that has come under fire from taxpayers and conservatives, and that CASA said won’t change.

But city and state officials said governments must fund groups, such as CASA, or risk increasing crime, homelessness and poverty.

The state and local governments have contributed more than $2 million to CASA this year — state funding is mostly for CASA’s new multicultural center in Langley Park.

Abbruzzese said previous administrations have funded CASA de Maryland, which received bond bills in 2005 and 2006 for its multicultural center.

“Under this administration, we’re moving forward with the REAL ID law that would prohibit undocumented people from getting IDs ... that was the practice under the previous administration,” Abbruzzese said.

Former Gov. Robert Ehrlich was not available for comment.

Baltimore City contributed $245,000 to CASA last year, mainly for job placement and AIDS/HIV testing.

No other Baltimore-area government contributed to CASA.

Sterling Clifford, spokesman for Baltimore City Mayor Sheila Dixon, said providing funding to CASA is “not a philosophical argument — it’s a practical argument.”

“Do we provide housing, health care and job services, or do we let people live on the streets, targets for exploitation?” Clifford said.

Officials blamed the immigration issue on poor enforcement of the federal laws.

“Immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the federal government,” Abbruzzese said.

“States are left to provide basic services to individuals who are living here.”

The issue has led to sharp debates, even a threat on O’Malley’s life.

Walter Abbott, of Parkville, threatened to choke O’Malley in an e-mail because of his support of CASA, and now faces possible jail time and fines for his letter.

“It was a credible threat that was acted on,” Abbruzzese said.

“There are things contained in the e-mail that were not released to the public.”

jflanagan@baltimoreexaminer.com